Frozen Moments
by osirisapollo
Summary: When Dean finds a collection of photos on Sam's phone, only Sam's quick thinking and extensive knowledge of his brother's inner workings can turn the situation into something good. Maybe even something great. Implied Dean/Castiel If there are any artists looking for inspiration, there are tons of images in this, and I would just love to have art for them!


It took far longer than it should have for Sam to realize that something was wrong. Dean may not be the most technically savvy person on the planet, but he surely knew how to access a couple of old text messages. They weren't even a day old, and Sam knew he hadn't said much to Charlie since then. It had been at least five minutes that Dean had been standing there pushing buttons on Sam's phone, and he still hadn't announced the information that Sam had asked for.

At first he was a little annoyed, assuming Dean was taking the opportunity to mess with the settings on his phone. The last time he'd done that it had taken Sam a few searches on the internet and carefully counted menu options to change his phone back to English. Of course, Dean knew which languages Sam would actually be able to read and had changed his phone to something more obscure.

Figuring the problem was something along those lines, Sam stood and strode across the room fully intent on snapping the phone out of his brother's hands before he could cause any more damage. As he drew closer, he could see Dean's face in the light from the screen on his phone. The expression on his brother's face made him stop in his tracks.

Dean looked devastated. His eyes were much too wide, and his mouth was open slightly in a way that seemed like he was so shocked he forgot how to keep it closed. His thumb flicked across the screen again, and after a pause he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Not knowing what else to do, and having no idea what could be causing Dean such distress on his phone, Sam pulled it gently from his brother's hand. Dean didn't even resist. He took the hand that had been holding the phone and used it to cover his eyes with a gentle rub, the way he did when he was particularly stressed out.

Worried and curious, Sam looked down at the phone and nearly groaned aloud. This was not going to end well.

"Dean…" He said it gently, not truly knowing how to handle the situation. Although he knew his brother better than anyone else, he had no idea how he would react to this. They had never been anywhere near this emotional nightmare before.

"Why?" Dean asked. And just to clarify they were talking about the same thing, Sam swiped through a couple of the photos his brother must have already seen. He cringed. They were indeed on the same page.

"Did you read any of the messages in between? Or did you just swipe through the photos?"

Dean didn't seem to have a response for that. He just looked at his brother in a way that said the question was irrelevant. Why would he bother reading the messages when the photos told the story?

"You idiot. Just… Just let me show you." Sam pushed his brother to sit on the closest bed and sat next to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and breathing a small sigh of relief when it wasn't immediately pushed off. "I know you'll probably still be angry and upset, but at least you'll have the whole story." He said it soothingly, waiting for the anger that hadn't come, but that he could still see so close to the surface.

He started at the beginning, as all good stories do. Since Dean had been looking for recent messages, he had only seen the worst of the images. The photos that had been taken in jest, after days of the softer stuff that had started the whole thing.

The bunker had needed an overhaul. They had so many books and artifacts and they needed some way to keep track of it all. They had to organize and catalogue in a way that made sense to them, and could therefore make the lost archives useful again. Charlie had promised to help, and as soon as Sam had told her they had some time, she was on her way. She promised to stay as long as they needed her.

It had only been two days in when she started questioning what was going on between Dean and Castiel.

Charlie: Does he always look at him like that?

There was an attached photo of them in the library. Castiel seemed to be explaining something he had read out of one of the books to Charlie, since he was mostly facing the camera. Dean was turned sideways as if to listen better to what Cas was saying. There was no misinterpreting the look of complete adoration on Dean's face as he gazed at the angel.

Sam: Yes. You have no idea.

Sam: What are you guys talking about?

Charlie: The falsities in the Bible

Sam: Hold up. I want to hear that!

Charlie: No matter how interested u thin guarantee it's not as interested as Dean!

Charlie: OMG are they having eye sex at the dinner table?

Attached was another photo, this one of the two men engaged in what might be called a staring contest, if not for the hungry eyes the two were sporting. It was amusing and disturbing in equal measure. At least as Sam saw it.

Sam: I'm trying to eat! Also, I am sitting right here. I can see them.

Charlie: At the dinner table, Sam! Does food make your brother horny?

Sam: Ew. Also, I think it has more to do with the pie Cas got. Dean's favorite you know.

Charlie: Aw, Cas is seducing your brother with baked goods!

Sam: Cas looks at him the same way when he's not looking.

The attached image was almost identical to the one of Dean staring at the angel, but the soft smile and the bright eyes was even more startling on Castiel. Dean's face had always been rather expressive, but Castiel was usually rather straight faced, no matter the circumstances. Seeing the love on the angels face was like a gift.

Charlie: What a couple of idiots

Sam: You're telling me. I've lived with this nonsense for almost 8 years.

Charlie: SRSLY?!

Sam: yep

Sam: Well, maybe not the whole time, but even if it hasn't been, it's felt like it.

Charlie: Holy crap that's cute

The photo was of one of the night that they had been doing a movie binge with some of Charlie's favorites. The usual seating arrangement of Sam on the chair while his brother and the angel shared the smallish couch they had adopted was thrown off with the addition of Charlie. She had oh so cleverly shoved Dean toward Castiel's side of the couch to make space for herself in Dean's usual spot. She had even shot a smirk at Sam as they watched Dean and Castiel struggle to find a comfortable position, not having enough left over space on the couch to keep from being pressed together.

It hadn't taken long for everyone to get arranged, and after about the third movie in the series everyone (except Castiel) was starting to fall asleep. No one wanted to be the first to submit. It had become a bit of a competition to see who would give first, between three competitive humans and one angel that was clueless to the game. Dean had been the first, although to be fair he had consumed a bit more booze than anyone else.

In the photo Dean's eyes were closed and his head was resting gently on Castiel's shoulder. They were not quite cuddling, but it was close enough to make Charlie whip out her camera. With no one else to share it with, she had sent it to Sam. He'd just rolled his eyes and hadn't bothered to open it at the time.

Sam: I bet I can get a better one.

It was approximately three hours later when Sam finally got a good shot to send. Dean was in one of the storage rooms, digging through some of the boxes on the floor. He had brought Castiel with him to make sure he'd get immediate medical attention if something in one of the boxes decided to fight back. Cas was standing off to the side watching.

In the moment captured by the camera Castiel was watching very closely to Dean's rear end as he dug around. The look on his face was of intrigue, which probably helped him disguise his fascination when Dean had popped back out of the box seconds later.

Charlie: HAHAHAHA is he checking out his ASS?! So busted…

Sam: Yeah, except Dean didn't even notice. He thinks Cas is just REALLY interested in the artifact.

Charlie: What a couple of idiots

Charlie: Wow. I think they are about to tear each other's clothes off. You should get in here!

Sam: I have absolutely no interest in being there for that.

Charlie: OMG they are super cute

This photo was of the two of them staring lovingly into each other's eyes. How she had managed to capture the photo Sam had no idea. He had never even gotten around to asking her what the two had been talking about, since the only time they let their guard down enough to look that way at each other was when they were too distracted by something else to remember to cover their feelings. And to see both of them with their guard down at the same time was like a miracle.

Sam: Do you think we should do something about this?

Charlie: Should we tell them to get on with it? Or get it on? Or some variation of?

Sam: God no. I won't be saying either of those things.

Charlie: I guess I will just have to entertain myself with this photo war with u then.

What followed were three photos of the two of them being domestic. One of Dean grinning and looking at Castiel out of the corner of his eye as he was prepping the meatloaf for one of their dinners.

Another was of Cas pointing at something on his laptop screen as Dean leaned over his shoulder, presumably to get a better look at whatever was being pointed at. He may have been a little closer than necessary, but it was not as obvious as some of the other photos they had shared. It was still sweet, somehow.

The last was a photo of Castiel smiling that soft smile he seemed to have only for Dean, and only when Dean wasn't looking. The eldest Winchester was expressively explaining something to his brother, his arms flung open wide, and a look of pointed exasperation was on his face, while Cas was sitting across from the brothers with an amused smile pointed at Dean and his antics.

Charlie: I think I'm getting a toothache from all the sweetness

Sam: Tell me about it…

Charlie: I'll say it again, couple of idiots

The next day they had found the current hunt, and all the texts that followed were to do with the hunt and the information that Charlie was sending back from the bunker and her own hacking and research.

Sam looked up at his brother. He hadn't said anything in the entire time that Sam had been explaining the whole story of the photos. Hadn't said anything as Sam showed him all of the photos and messages between himself and Charlie. He still didn't say anything when Sam had finished, just stared down at the phone in Sam's hands.

When Dean finally decided to move, he tugged the phone back out of Sam's hands. Not knowing what to expect Sam prepared for the worst. He'd probably have to buy a new phone tomorrow. And his brother might not speak to him for days. At least Castiel was still out. He prayed that he would stay gone a while yet, and belatedly realized that Cas could probably hear him and probably would. The advantages of having an angel friend.

Dean leaned back a bit, bringing the phone up to himself in a way that made Sam realize he was trying to look at it without Sam being able to see what he was looking at. He clicked on one of the photos and immediately started scrolling through them again. He stopped after only a few flicks of his thumb.

It was the photo he'd been gazing at the first time Sam had found him looking at them. The one of the two of them staring at each other as if they were the only two people on the whole planet. It was a beautiful photo, and it showed the love they felt so clearly. Sam's heart stopped momentarily as Dean's thumb moved as if to stroke the photo. It was such a telling move, and he knew it meant that his brother really wanted that. He wanted the love he saw in that photo.

Instead of stroking it he flicked his thumb, scrolling farther through the pictures. He stopped again when he found the photo of Castiel's soft smile at him while he wasn't looking. He stared for a moment before flicking farther back to the first one. It was the one of Dean gazing at his angel.

"Sam…" his voice was low and seemed a little weak. Suddenly, Sam knew where this conversation was going. It wasn't any of the reactions that he had predicted, and even as it threw him for a loop, he quickly responded before Dean could say anything else.

"You want it. You are in love with him, and he is in love with you. You are tired of pretending and dancing around each other, and you're ready to just see where this is going to go. You're scared, but that's ok. That's how you know it's really love."

Dean's wide surprised eyes lifted to meet his brother's. "Uh… something like that."

Sam grinned at his brother, just in time to watch Dean's eyebrows dip and a frown to cross his face.

"You will accept the truth, and you won't be mad at me for saying it. You'll figure out how you're going to tell Cas, and then you're going to do it. You know it'll be worth it, because you know that both of you will be happier. And you want Cas to be happy more than anything else. And you know that you deserve a bit of happiness too."

Dean huffed and threw the phone on the bed as he stood up, putting some space between the brothers. He rubbed his face and turned back with a small frown.

"What, you think you're a Jedi now?"

"These aren't the droids you're looking for." Sam grinned at his brother's look of consternation. The best way to deal with Dean's emotions was to confuse him and throw his concentration.

"Sam… this is serious." Dean had his serious face on too, which was actually a good thing. Not his emotional and pissed off face.

"Seriously over-due."

Dean rolled his eyes at his brother and sighed again.

"I'm really going to have to do this aren't I?"

Sam grinned at his brother and the dramatic way he was acting.

"Yep. It's not like you've ever given Cas a reason to believe he's got a shot. It's possible he'll never push that line. It's going to have to be you." Even as he tried to sympathize with his brother, he knew that Cas was oblivious to the feelings Dean held for him. He might even be a little confused about his own feelings for Dean.

"Well…" Dean looked at Sam expectantly.

"Well, what?"

"Are you going to help me come up with a plan, or you just going to toss me in and watch me drown?" The look on the elder Winchester's face was all determination and bravado, but Sam could see the fear hidden underneath. He had always been able to.

"Of course." And he grinned at his brother.


End file.
